Top 13 Gluten-Free Dining Spots to Experience in Ukrainian Village, New York

Kathryn Meyer

Discovered John’s of 12th Street in one of the gluten free NYC groups that I’m in and added it to my “must visit” because someone mentioned that they have gluten free and vegan cannolis. On my last trip to NYC, we stopped in several locations in Little Italy to ask if they had gluten and dairy free cannolis and while we were able to find gluten free shells, the vegan or dairy free filling proved impossible to find. Thus, you can imagine my surprise/excitement to read that John’s of 12th Street was offering this and had a separate vegan menu as well! I arrived on a Saturday evening without a reservation and they were kind enough to fit me in because I was by myself (I don’t recommend coming without a reservation; the restaurant was super busy!). The waitstaff was extremely friendly and welcoming and knowledgeable about gluten free and vegan options. I was ready to order the gluten free pasta with marinara when it occurred to me to ask what was in the marinara. Surprisingly, there is butter. I’m dairy free in addition to gluten free, so the server guided me to the vegan option which does not contain butter. The pasta arrived very quickly, and with it a container of Follow Your Heart vegan parmesan which I felt was a very thoughtful touch as I can’t remember the last time I was able to have parmesan with my pasta at a restaurant (also shows how vegan friendly this restaurant is!). The sauce itself was not what I had envisioned with marinara sauce, it was really heavy on the garlic and had green onions in it. It was okay, but I would probably try a different sauce if I went back again. Then the time came for the gluten free, vegan cannoli. Relatively pricey at ~10/cannoli, it arrived and I immediately was confused. The shell is not what I would expect for a cannoli… it was a pizzelle (a waffle cookie) rolled into the shape of a cannoli shell. The filling was also not what I expected—it wasn’t traditional, but had a mix of spices that were reminiscent of fall and pumpkin pie. It wasn’t my favorite, especially at the price point, but I have to give them major kudos for catering to a gluten free and vegan community and offering an abundance of options, including a dessert option which is so rare to find. If ever back in NYC, I would consider eating here again as it felt like a safe place to eat for someone who is gluten and dairy free like myself.

Alexis Bee

Great glutenfree Pizza and beer, our server was super nice

Jordan Carr

Fantastic creperie. Super sweet lady. My husband is Gluten Free and he loved both his savory ham and egg and his sweet dark chocolate banana crepe. The crepe held together. My regular flour crepes were delicious. Small shop, seating for 6. Will be coming back. Price average $15 a crepe.

Stephanie Marsh

Wonderful food and a lot of fun. We all left stuffed and happy. Staff was helpful and unintrusive, even when we lingered for 2 hours. Menu includes gluten free and vegan options. Allergen menus are posted above the sauce bar.

Sarah Story

The food was very tasty. However, I ordered gluten free pasta, which is only available in one shape at this location, fusilli, and found two pieces of spaghetti in my dish. This means that there was severe cross-contamination, likely cooking the GF pasta in the same pasta water as regular, full-gluten, pasta (I have worked in restaurants, I know how pasta is typically prepared in these environments). There is no point offering gluten free pasta if they are going to clearly and irresponsibly cross contaminate like that, especially since they're charging extra money. It's great that they offer the GF option so people with Celiac disease, like myself, can have more options to eat out with friends, but you endanger customers by using the same pasta water - the dish is no longer gluten free. Luckily, I did not get sick, but that's not a reason to continue with this unsafe practice. If changes are not made, there is no point offering, or claiming that there is, the GF pasta option.

Sirintip Phasuk

Great service, very accommodating towards gluten and dairy free diets. Very thorough

Emily Wang

A hidden gem in the east village. Food is experimental and delicious to eat. The Hawaiian Asian fusion food is very unique and rare to find in the city. The gluten-free fried chicken is a must go for anyone who has dietary restrictions. It is crispy, juicy and delicious. Szechuan Bolognese is quite an interesting combination of Chinese and Italian cuisine. Heritage pork chop is a very delicious too. Not to mention the dessert!! The brûlée Hawaiian pineapple and the Chocolate Haupia Sundae are too good to miss! I love the intimate environment. Small space without too much pretentious. The service is superb. You can tell the staff generally care about if their customers have a good time there. Very spontaneous, very friendly and very observable. Will come back again!

Charlotte T

Excellent food, gluten free accommodating and friendly helpful service.

Jessica Zhao

Delicious, good portions, healthy, and affordable! So happy to have found a danish restaurant. Got the vegetarian sandwich with smoked salmon, potato smorrebrod, and sweet potato “fries”. Also have gluten free options

Louis Gomes

Best gluten free pizza! The staff is great and they are always open. Love it!!

Caitlin Hegarty

Amazing, quaint, and gluten free!

E L

Suuuch great food! Every option is great, all vegetarian too ofc. I always get the large rice platter w 3 veg curries, “small” bag pakora, chai, and kheer (rice pudding) and it is all under $20. Incredible. Everything is great- highly suggest the pakora, a “small” bag is actually huge portion for just $3.50, and gluten free as far as I know! (Chickpea flour) *will say, I love my chai with strong flavor and this isn’t really- it but is still a nice warm drink.

Jason Fagan